


Part of Your Tribe

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Set in Storybrooke, Canon Divergent [62]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, OQ Prompt Party 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 14:04:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19007299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Written for OQ Prompt Party 2019 - Prompt #46: Regina didn’t realize marrying Robin meant that she’d also be getting custody of all the Merry Men.





	Part of Your Tribe

Regina's eyes flutter open as she rolls onto her side and reaches for Robin, grinning at the realization that today is the one-month anniversary. In some ways, the time has flown by and she can't believe that it's been a full month since they walked down the aisle; yet, at the same time, it feels like they've been together forever, the marriage certificate was a mere technicality that didn't really change much.

Regardless, today, she plans to celebrate.

Almost immediately, though, her plans seem foiled as her hand falls into the empty space where Robin should be.

Sitting up, she frowns at the realization that he's already up. His pajamas are slung over the back of the chair by the window and the closet door that's known to squeak has been left open-something Robin does when he wakes before her and doesn't want to disturb her sleep. She sighs as she throws back the blankets, reaching for her robe and instantly feeling a bad mood settling in-and then, as she pulls on the robe and opens the bedroom door, she hears and smells sizzling bacon, and momentarily, she feels her annoyance fading.

"Um… good morning," she says, blinking as she stares at Will Scarlet, sitting on one of the stools at the counter, a nearly overflowing bowl of cereal in front of him.

"I like this one," he tells her as he shovels a spoonful into his mouth. "Do you always buy this?"

Regina blinks. "No. It's too sugary. Roland snuck it into my cart."

"Ah, the little man has good taste."

Regina blinks, her eyes shifting to a pan of bacon on the stove, the grease sizzling and popping. "Are you... cooking that?"

"Mm, I am," Will confirms. "I like it crispy, so I'm letting it fry up while I have a mid-morning snack."

Her eyes narrow. "It's seven in the morning."

"Indeed it is," he tells her, nodding and raising his spoon to her before plunging it back into the bowl.

She bristles as she watches milk splash onto the counter. "Is, um… is Robin around?"

"Out back."

"Thank you," she murmurs, her shoulders stiffening as she tightens the knot at the front of her robe and heads toward the back door-and as soon as she opens it, she grimaces. Little John is standing in the center of the lawn. There's a fire going in the fire pit and above the flame is a rod holding at least twenty fish. Drawing in a breath, she groans-it smells like there's at least a hundred.

"Mornin'," John calls out, waving wildly as he grins from across the yard.

She offers a tight smile in return as Robin turns to face her-looking incredibly guilty. "Good morning," he calls to her. "I, um… thought you wanted to sleep in."

"No," she murmurs as her arms fold. "I said I didn't want to get out of bed until noon. That… didn't mean I meant to sleep until noon." Her brow arches suggestively. "And I sort of anticipated you'd, um…" She looks past Robin, watching as John prods one of the fish with a stick, and lowers her voice as she looks pointedly to her husband. "I thought you'd be, um... not sleeping with me."

A tight grimace tugs across Robin's lips as he crosses the lawn toward her, standing at the bottom stair and looking up at her. "Oh, love, you have no idea how much I wanted to do that, too."

"Then why are you out here playing with your friends and not…" Her voice trails off momentarily as she looks to John, hoping that he can't hear her. "Not upstairs playing with me?"

Robin sighs, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "They went fishing."

"So?"

"The trout were really bitin' this morning!" John calls from the firepit at the center of the yard. "Got enough to feed a small army!"

Regina's brow arches and Robin's eyes widen. "Please tell me the rest of your friends aren't on their way."

"I'm… afraid they are," Robin tells her. "They wanted to-"

"Robin," she says, taking a breath and trying in vain to keep her voice even, "I have tried to be patient, and truly, I am glad that they've warmed up to me because, for your sake, I want your friends to like me. But I had plans for us today that didn't involve-"

"They want to make us dinner," Robin tells her, cutting in and offering a sheepish grin. "For our anniversary."

Regina blinks. "What?"

"They're planning a dinner, of sorts."

Her eyes narrow, but she feels herself softening. "Of sorts?"

"Well, they're not exactly skilled in that department, but-"

"But John can fry up excellent fish," Will says, joining them on the deck and causing her cheeks to flush. "And I'm trying my hand at some fancy bacon dressing that Roland said you like." Regina sighs, her eyes pressing closed. She feels like she's an inch tall. "Just count your blessings that Robin managed to convince John to cook those fish in the backyard instead of out front like he did last time with that wild turkey."

"I'm sorry," she murmurs, opening her eyes and looking to Will. "I shouldn't have-"

"Don't think anything of it, love," Will tells her, winking. "We're just grateful you only scowled at us. It wasn't so long ago that you'd have burned us all to a crisp."

Her cheeks flush, but Robin laughs as he comes up the stairs, stretching his arm around her waist and hugging her into his side. "Come on," he whispers. "If you're not too pissed off about all of this, I'd like a shot at revisiting those plans you had." He offers her a devilish little grin and once again, she feels herself softening. "You know, now that I know John isn't going to burn down the house."

She laughs and rolls her eyes, but nonetheless she nods, taking him by the hand and leading him back inside-and though she'll never admit it, she enjoys the Merry Men and their antics. Never before has she had people in her life who showed up to do nice things for her, who cared for her unconditionally despite her (sometimes) surly moods, and never before has she belonged to a tribe. When she married Robin, she knew she was getting a family-the two of them and their sons-but she hadn't really considered the large, extended family she was also getting-and though they had a tendency of showing up at inopportune times and doing embarrassing things that made her cringe, she wouldn't trade any of them for anything.

They were family-family, not because they had to be, but because they wanted to be.

She'd never had that before, and slowly, but surely, she was learning to love it-and slowly, but surely, she was learning to love them.


End file.
